Finding the Monarchs

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One of the good things about that trip to San Antonio, Texas, in April, was getting to see the Monarch butterfly. The River Walk there is a highly commercialized touristy place for the most part, but get away from all that hustle and bustle and there is real beauty. Walking along the river, in view of restored homes over 100 years old, with beautiful flowers was a real treat. Even better, there were a few Monarchs flitting around. I never see these in Oregon, though they are fairly common in California. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, nearly 90% of our North American Monarchs have been wiped out over the last 20years. These beautiful things spend the winter in mild areas clustering on trees in places like Pacific Grove, California, then migrate thousands of miles to the same place that generations of others have before them, as far north as Canada. They lay eggs along the way on plants called milkweed, which is the only food the larvae have once they hatch. Herbicides have destroyed much of the milkweed along the butterflies' routes. No milkweed, no Monarch butterflies. It was great to see these and get photos of them.